Self-facing retail merchandise displays are generally known in the art for example U.S. Pat. No. 8,720,702 to Nagel; U.S. Pat. No. 7,823,734 to Hardy; U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,282 to Hardy, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. An example of such a self-facing retail display is the pusher system. A typical pusher system has a track and a pusher body connected to a spring located at the leading edge of the track. The spring exerts a linear force on the pusher body that causes the pusher to move in a linear direction towards the leading edge of the track.
In use, a linear force is applied to the pusher body, which causes the pusher body to move away from the leading edge of the track. As the linear force is applied it causes the spring to coil relative to the amount of force applied to the pusher body. After applying enough force to relocate the pusher body to the desired location on the track, the user can load retail merchandise on the track between the pusher body and the leading edge of the track. The user can then release the pusher body, which causes the coiled spring to recoil and exert a second linear force on the pusher body. The second linear force exerted by the spring drives the pusher body forward to contact the retail merchandise and apply a biasing force on the retail merchandise. The biasing force exerted by the spring and applied by the pusher body causes the retail merchandise to “front-face” on the retail display.
For example, as a customer selects a piece of merchandise from the track, it forms a gap between the leading edge of the track and the linear row of retail merchandise. This causes the spring to exert a linear force on the pusher body, which in turn causes the pusher body to exert a biasing force on the linear row of merchandise. The biasing force exerted by the pusher body on the merchandise causes the merchandise to “front-face” by shifting forward and abutting the leading edge of the track.
The automatic front-facing of retail merchandise serves the dual purpose of making the merchandise look aesthetically pleasing, while also reducing the number of man-hours allocated to front-facing retail merchandise. In sum, self-facing retail merchandise displays make the merchandise aesthetically pleasing, which increases sales, and reduces the number of man-hours dedicated to front-facing merchandise, which improves efficiency.
The pusher system described above can be employed in a variety of retail settings using a variety of retail displays. For example, self-facing merchandise displays are commonly installed side-by-side on retail shelving and separated by dividers that keep the merchandise in generally straight rows along the depth of the shelving. Retail stores commonly employ such a system to sell deodorant or other hygienic products.
Although, the pusher system described above has many advantages it is not without its faults. There are certain retail environments, such as commercial refrigerated cabinets or freezers, which have not been able to realistically incorporate conventional retail pushers. One reason for this is that conventional pusher systems do not optimize the finite amount of space available in commercial refrigerators or freezer. As such, many retailers choose not to install conventional pusher systems in their freezers and refrigerators because they are unwilling to sacrifice valuable retail display space to provide room for conventional retail pusher systems.
Another common problem is the mechanical failure or jamming of conventional pusher systems caused by the low temperatures required to safely display refrigerated or frozen foods. The mechanical failure of conventional retail pusher systems is often caused by ice buildup within the refrigerated cabinets or freezers. As ice builds in the refrigerated cabinets or freezers it also builds on the moveable parts of conventional pusher systems, which can cause conventional pusher systems to jam.
Additionally, conventional pusher systems typically use hooks to attach to mount shelving typically found in commercial refrigerated cabinets or freezers. The hooks of conventional pusher systems typical hang from mount shelving and the weight of the retail merchandise sitting atop the conventional pusher system exerts a downward force on the hooks, which secures the hooks from moving along the mount shelving. Such a design makes conventional pusher systems susceptible to dislodging from the mount shelving. This is especially true when the pusher tray is not fully loaded with merchandise and there is no downward force being applied by the weight of the retail merchandise to keep the hooks secure to the mounting shelf. A problem can occur if a hook dislodges before loading because it can cause the immediate collapse of the system. Likewise, even if one of the hooks is dislodged or partially dislodged the weight of a load of retail merchandise will strain the hooks. Over time, the strain on the hooks causes them to deform, in which case the retailer has to incur the cost of replacing the hooks or the entire pusher system. In addition, the deformation of the hooks raises safety concerns for retailers due to the fact customers and employees routinely place their hands and arms below loaded pusher systems to restock or select retail merchandise. As a result, many retailers have not incorporated conventional pusher systems into their stores due to the financial and safety concerns raised above.
Furthermore, it is common to mount shelving in commercial refrigerated cabinets or freezers along mounting bars that run horizontally along the backside of the cabinets or freezers. This results in commercial refrigerated cabinets or freezer typically having cantilevered shelving extending from the backside of the horizontal mounting bars located on the backside of the cabinet or freezer. The weight of the shelving in addition to the merchandise placed on the shelving will often times bend the shelving. This has proven to be problematic for conventional pusher systems because they incorporate an array of moving parts optimized to work while level.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a pusher system that can be readily incorporated into a refrigerated cabinet or a freezer and maximize the limited amount of space available; is prevented from inadvertently dislodging from mount shelving; and remain as a cantilevered extension even while holding heavy loads of retail merchandise for extended periods of time.
The invention provides such a system. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.